Books & Spoons Review for CRITICAL INSTINCT by Janie Crouch

Every single person Paige has drawn has ended up dead. And now she’s drawn herself.

Paige Jeffries’ is the darling of the art world. Her works are original, compelling. But after a brutal attack two years ago —a savage beating from an unknown assailant—Paige has become all but a recluse. She knows her mind is broken. In her sleep she’s drawing scenes of violence. Murders. Going to the cops isn’t an option because they already think she’s crazy. And they may be right.

Seasoned homicide detective Brett Wagner is asked to look into a cold case nobody wants: the assault and battery of a local artist who claims to have drawn a picture of her own attack before it even happened. He remembers shy Paige from high school, and is driven to find her attacker, to believe her when nobody else does, to protect the innocent beauty.

Because when he witnesses firsthand what Paige is drawing in her sleep, Brett realizes they are scenes from actual cases. Cases that had no connection until now. Portland has a secret serial killer, and Paige is somehow linked to his mind.

And he’s coming for her.

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The story starts eerily with the killer's thoughts, setting up the tone of peril at your doorsteps, danger, and death just a few steps away. That intense atmosphere lasts through the story, where the plot is well thought out, where every scene is vital to the development of the story, with a solid built up of the scenes with escalating tension. 
I enjoyed the characters, from the main couple to the secondary cast they were all engaging and intriguing. I found Paige to be inspirational, a character that will stay with you long after you have finished reading the story. From her art to her strength to survive, her dealing with her gift, the darkness of the past two years, and still being able to function as well as she did was admirable. I liked how it was Paige to show Brett's depth as a character with the colors she saw in him. One of my favorite moments in the story. (*sigh*)
The connection between Brett and Paige was believable, going from passionate attraction to adorable loving, to playful and even secure as their feelings deepen. The love scenes actually took the plot forward and were not too much at any time. They were not there just for the sake of to have them and the amount of detail was perfectly done. 
I enjoyed the role the sisters had in the story, giving a little glimpse of the characters of the previous book and an introduction to the sister who's story will be next. This book is easily read as a stand-alone novel, yet I do recommend the first book in the series, just because it's a great story. 
With escalating violence, action, and intensity, the crimes and suspense have a creepy, menacing feel to them. The way the culprit was found, the leads and evidence the law enforcement followed were logical and believable, while the suspense was frightening and downright scary at times. 
The gift Paige have amazed me and really stayed with me after putting the book down. The amount of doubt mixed into the belief of the gift to be real, Brett's misgivings about it, his questions, and need to find more about it, it all made the story somehow even more realistic, Paige's abilities even more powerful. 
An intense, compelling, potent, and passionate tale that made me check my locks and windows because of the eerie feelings it gave me, had me on the edge while enjoying the story immensely, and inhaling each and every word. This story is an experience I highly recommend! 
~ Five Spoons

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KOBO

iBooks

B&N

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INTRODUCING THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES - SURVIVAL INSTINCT OUT JULY 11TH 2017
SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE ONLY $0,99

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Winner of the Golden Quill Award for Best Romantic Suspense, and a finalist in multiple other Romance literary awards, including the coveted RITA Award by the Romance Writers of America, Janie Crouch loves to read - almost exclusively romance - and has been doing so since middle school. She cut her teeth on Harlequin (Mills & Boon) Romances when she lived in Wales, UK as a preteen, then moved on to a passion for romantic suspense as an adult.

Janie recently relocated with her husband and four children to Germany (due to her husband's job as support for the U.S. Military), after living in Virginia for nearly 20 years. When she's not listening to the voices in her head (and even when she is), she enjoys traveling, long-distance running, movie-watching, knitting and adventure (obstacle) racing. Janie completed an Ironman Triathlon in 2014 and is prepping for another one in 2017.

Check out Janie's updates and more on her website at http://www.janiecrouch.com

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